The goal of virtual reality (VR) is to immerse users in virtual environments. A conventional VR device obscures a user's real-world surroundings, such that only digitally-generated images remain visible. Those images are presented on a display such as, for example, an organic light-emitting diode or “OLED” panel housed within a head-mounted device (HMD) or the like.
In contrast with VR, augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) operate by overlaying digitally-generated content or entities (e.g., characters, text, hyperlinks, images, graphics, etc.) upon the user's physical surroundings. A typical AR/MR device includes a projection-based optical system that displays content on a translucent or transparent surface (e.g., plastic, glass, etc.) of an HMD, heads-up display (HUD), eyeglasses, or the like.
In modern implementations, xR headsets (i.e., VR, AR, or MR) may be wirelessly tethered to an external computer. Conventional xR headsets do not have as much processing capability as the external computer, so the external computer is used to generate the digital images to be displayed by the xR headset. The xR headset transmits information to the computer regarding the state of the user (e.g., head position, proximity to other users, etc.), which in turn enables the external computer to determine which image to show to the user next, and from which perspective, as the user moves around and/or changes head position.
The inventors hereof have recognized that xR applications are becoming more interactive, and that roaming is now an important element of the xR experience. However, allowing a user to move around a room, whether that user is fully or partially immersed in an xR application, can lead to physical collisions between the user, physical objects, and other users or persons present in that room. To address these, and other concerns, the inventors hereof have developed systems and methods for ultrasonic collision management in xR applications.